Nintendo Publishing Inazuma Eleven In Europe

Bergsala is Nintendo’s game distributor in certain European territories, such as Norway and Sweden. Today, the company announced that Nintendo are publishing Level 5’s Inazuma Eleven (the first game) in Europe.

This announcement is in line with comments made by Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, who recently stated that localizing and releasing currently unlocalized software on the Nintendo DS would allow Nintendo to continue to take advantage of the system’s existing audience, despite the upcoming 3DS launch.

Game companies still fell the need to change names as ‘gamers’ still can’t deal with Japanese names? Will this game take place in London now?

I’m aware that some names come with puns, but this was just not needed.

C’mon, are people really such xenophobes? I hate that after 20 years we (people in Europe) are still stuck with the ‘English = great; every other language/country = bad’ mindset.

Aoshi00

But you do know that one of our favorite series has the same name changes right, but not that many people complained about that (the place was indeed changed from Jpn to the US),Naruhodou Ryuuichi => Phoenix WrightMitsurugi Kenji => Miles EdgeworthOdoroki Housuke => Apollo JusticeItonokogiri Keisuke ==> Dick Gumshoeetc.I wouldn’t say it’s right, but I don’t think it’s that big a deal, and the Western names are indeed more memorable and meaningful for the Western audience. I’m more familiar w/ names like Ayasato Mayoi or Ichijou Mikumo, but most of us here know them as Maya Fey or Kay Faraday. In fact, whenever a new Phoenix Wright game is localized, I actually look forward to what funny new names they could make up, I think they’re rather brilliant and creative.Otherwise I must say this practice was pretty antiquated, I didn’t like it when TokyoPop changed the names of the chars in Harlem Beat or Parasyte (Kiseijuu), even the alien residing in the main char’s hand was changed from Migi (right) to Lefty, because manga got flipped back then lol, but still retaining the idea.

alundra311

I agree with you that some changes are indeed more memorable and meaningful.

Man, those localized Inazuma names sound so uninspired. Hopefully, they release this in the US and change the names back to their original or change them to something more inspired.

Aoshi00

Exactly, some Jpn names are a mouthful and they just don’t mean a thing to regular folks, especially there are like 1000 (?) major and minor chars in the game. You know Pokemon had name changes too (Ash instead of Satoshi), or even Mario. People have to think, is this game aimed at young adults who are more exposed to anime or just kids like Pokemon. If it gets released in the US, it’ll definitely have to be aimed at kids, because nobody past their teens or 20’s cares about soccer.I don’t know about the chances of this making to the US (most Americans probably didn’t even know Spain won the last world cup), but European localization is a good sign just like Last Window, highly doubt they would redo the names though. I vote for the name Billy Bob :) I played the demo of this but not sure if I liked it (I was a huge Captain Tsubasa fan), I might just grab a copy in the memory of “Paul” (may our 8-legged psychic friend RIP)

alundra311

Haven’t played the demo, but from the videos I saw it looks to be quite an interesting and fun game. I hope it really is because I have been looking forward to playing it since it was first announced for Japan.

gatotsu911

Yeah, god forbid they mess with the artistic integrity of a cartoony soccer game aimed at 10-year-olds.

For real, though, you make me laugh. You realize the Japanese think names like “Nathan”, “Mark” and “Kevin” are way “cooler” than their own, right? It’s all about what sounds exotic vs. what sounds familiar.

shion16

yeah
but on second thought i like the fact this game was finally exported
Its a great game and it deserve more popularity

But Inazuma Eleven has been out a lot longer, and Xenoblade was released this year, right? That is to say, we had better to get Xenoblade…

Although to echo someone else’s sentiments, now that I see they changed the names, I don’t know if I can be as excited.

gatotsu911

It’s targeted at kids and is about an international sport, so I’m not surprised they would change the names. I doubt the same would happen to Xenoblade, which is aimed at older audiences and has a fantasy setting. (Although if they want to change some of the pseudo-Western names like “Shulk” to make them sound less ridiculous, you won’t hear me complaining.)

Aoshi00

Shuruku sounds alright in Jpn, but if localized, I’m betting they would change the ridiculous Eng. spelling. Even Kefka is spelled Cefca in Jpn.

puchinri

Wouldn’t the ‘Shuruku’ just be the direct katakana, but they would still put it as ‘Shulk’ over there? Or are they actually using that romanization? (That is ridiculous and somehow humorous if so.)

Ya know, the ‘c’ and ‘k’ thing always bugs me with Japanese. Sometimes, I swear they do that for stylization or something. I hate that in certain circumstances, you see both and are left more confused…

Aoshi00

In Xenoblade, they don’t have the names written in Eng. letters, just シュルク for Shulk, so at least the Jpn pronunciation “Shuruku” doesn’t sound particular weird. The time when weird spellings bothered me was in Archaic Sealed Heat, the princess “アイシャ” was spelled “Aisya” and her retainer “ブルネク” was spelled “Bullnequ”, just really funky nonsensical spellings like Shulk you know, but read in Jpn, like Aisha or Buruneku (even the spelling like Brunek would be better)they don’t sound weird, just the Eng spelling assigned to them are. In Xenoblade there’s only katakana in game though.Anyway, they’re really weird when it comes to making up things in English, like the Eng. chapter names in Bleach or Watsuki’s new manga “Embalming – The Another Tale of Frankenstein” (which should’ve been either The Other Tale, or Another Tale..), they really like the word Another and Third :)

puchinri

I hate when it stops letting me when reply to later replies, heh.

I see. I didn’t know if it had any menus or anything where it might show the English name.

And those are weird spellings. The Bullnequ, I actually feel makes more sense than the Aisya, but both are… odd.

Haha, yeah. I remember having a talk with different friends about this too. It’s really weird, because I think sometimes (and maybe depending on the use/scenario), they use the selling as we would, but I’ve seen cases where it’s Engrish just for the sake of Engrish. And sometimes… It actually works. But sometimes, I have to wonder where they get their spellings and uses from. Kubo at least seems to (mis)use English (and I’ve heard some of the Spanish is awkward) often (but Kubo is just Kubo…). Haha! I do see Another Tale though. I would think they meant that to be Engrish for the sake of Engrish that does look cool, but I would have to wonder if that was intentional or not.

Aoshi00

Aisya reminds me of the wrestler in Rumble Roses :)

puchinri

Haha! I haven’t played RR at all, but I want to. I’m familiar with some of the characters, but never knew there was an Aisya.

And looking up the name, I knew it was a real name but didn’t know from what culture, though it does seem to match for Aisya in Rumble Roses. Since I don’t know the context of ASH though (was that the game mentioned above?) I have no clue if it matches that princess.

Aoshi00

Actually it was just Aisha (w/ an H) in Rumble Roses, she’s very flamboyant,http://www.videogamegirlsdb.com/Images/Rumble_Roses/Aisha/Aisha_RR_XX_05.jpgIt’s just that the weird spelling “Aisya” they used in ASH reminded me of the annoying ring announcer crying out her name, like “Ai iiiiii shaaa” :) Anyway, they should have someone who’s proficient in Eng. spell check or give an opinion on the Engrish you know.

Aoshi00

@Yusaku_Matsuda70s us going tangent again lol. Same here, loved the first Rumble Roses (so much I imported a used PS2 copy for the Jpn dub which was really good), I know the Eng dub was horrible, bad^10.. The first game was very fun, but I don’t like the sequel at all, which is a shame because the graphics was improved, but the gameplay felt very different and not as fun somehow, and no “story” mode felt like a huge step back.

Yusaku_Matsuda70s

Did someone just say Rumble Roses? God I love that game! The first one, anyway… The VA’s did such a bad job it was hilariously great. The bad dialogue, the corny “stories”, and porno music of a soundtrack only made it funnier. Call me perverted, but there’s nothing like hot girls cheesing it up with crazy moves and surprisingly solid controls.

Anyone who pans that game for being “bad” just doesn’t understand the schlock value.

Yusaku_Matsuda70s

Ah screw it, who cares about tangents. Perhaps its more fun that way after all. We’re still talking about Japanese sports games, are we not? :)

The Japanese VA were actually good?! O_O

Yea I demoed the 2nd game, I didn’t enjoy it as much either; the all-around simplicity of the first one was its draw. Very arcade like. The second one turned into an actual sports game…

puchinri

You have made my want for Rumble Roses increase by 200%. I believe I shall now hunt it down on Amazon.

puchinri

Well, with Inazuma I think it’s annoying that they would change the names, but that’s not a worry for Xenoblade, and I don’t really mind the names, so I’m kind of mixed.

I think both of your points are logical but still don’t apply. I guess people do often think children can’t understand Japanese names, but they’re just underestimating children and I wish they would stop. It’s why I was surprised they kept the names in Beyblade and actually pronounce them right (and it amde me very happy). But being an international sport, can’t it celebrate other nations? Like the one the game comes from?

I’m so sad I can see them giving those kind of excuses, but it’s just more depressing that they don’t really apply. vnv

gatotsu911

I think the question is less one of children being unable to understand foreign names as having difficulty relating to them and familiarizing themselves with the setting. Sure, some kids are interested in Japan, but most are more likely to be taken in by a game with a familiar setting and names. The international success of franchises like Naruto suggest that kids may be more receptive to foreign naming and cultural conventions than is generally assumed to be the case, but then again part of the appeal in Naruto’s case is its exoticism (it is about ninjas, after all). To its original audience of Japanese children, the setting of Inazuma Eleven was supposed to be familiar and relatable. I see no problem with Nintendo localizing the setting to accommodate Western children and preserve the franchise’s original intent, just as they did with Pokemon, or like Capcom did with Phoenix Wright (which you don’t see anyone but the most hardcore fanboys complaining about). Again, if the franchise were aimed at older audiences or was more serious and/or culturally relevant in tone, I would understand the cause for concern, but Inazuma Eleven isn’t trying to be a work of art, it’s trying to be a fun video game that appeals to children. So I really don’t think there’s an issue here. Besides, the game’s creators in all likelihood approved the name changes, especially since they agreed to have Nintendo publish the game in the West.

puchinri

I think that’s relevant and not. I mean, I think kids relate more than we think. If a name alone holds a kid back from relating (or anyone of any age), I really don’t know what to think about that. I can’t really speak for EU, but at least in NA, we’ve had a lot of examples where children can relate to foreign names and in sometimes with or without the exotic element. But really, I don’t know about applying the exotic element of Naruto like that, to me, I can see people using that as a means to breed stereotypes in children. Naruto put a fantasy element to ninjas, and so saying it’s about exoticism kind of narrows down some important issues there. I understand that point, but I think saying children won’t be able to relate is still a two-way street.

I think accomodating the Western children is nice, but underestimating what they can and can’t relate to, pronounce, etc. isn’t doing them favors either.

And I think IE is aimed at children, but it’s something for all audiences to enjoy. I think allowing all audiences to enjoy it without much changes would be nice.

gatotsu911

Okay, let’s look at it this way: What does Inazuma Eleven LOSE by having its names localized? Does it lose vital cultural context? Does it lose its sense of time and place? Does it lose an important statement about growing up in modern Japan? I really don’t think so. This isn’t exactly a Miyazaki movie we’re talking about here. The only thing it really loses is the approval of purists and Japan-worshippers who demand that EVERY detail of their beloved franchises be left completely intact when they are marketed to different cultures.

puchinri

I hear the names did have puns, but really, I haven’t played it so I can’t say what it loses. I myself, had just hoped that if they were bringing it over, we’d at least get to keep the names. Or at least keep names that don’t feel a little… awkward. Of all the Western names to choose, none of those really fit the characters, to me. At least most of the Japanese names fit them.

Uh, 1’s the best new property this generation, and the other’s Xenoblade. Xenoblade’s not even within sight of the series, and I don’t like Level-5’s other games. Hypothetical complainers will adore this.

Jaxx-Leviathan

Jeez, even though we are basically the smaller sibling of big brothers Sweden and Norway, Denmark is still not mentioned. Oh well, no biggie. This is great news for the over-abundance of soccer – which we call ‘football’ – fans in DK and the rest of northern Europe.

“releasing existing, unlocalized software on the Nintendo DS would allow Nintendo to continue to take advantage of the system’s existing audience” …I don’t get this part of the quote’s relation to the article, because with all the name-changing these screens show (most of these players in the first game are Japanese, hello), it’s very OBVIOUSLY LOCALIZED. orz

He meant localizing existing unlocalized games. Wording could be better though…thanks for pointing that out. :)

PurpleDoom

Hopefully this gets announced for the U.S. soon. If I recall correctly, Level-5 is going to begin publishing in the U.S. as well, so perhaps this will be in-house (that would also explain the general lack of Level-5 related announcements here aside from Layton 5.)

Joanna

Yeah, I’m hoping the lack of an announcement for NA is because L5 shall be handling it themselves.

Pichi

Hope they market it well. They missed a big opportunity with the Would Cup.

Sorry I cant get excited for this since the much better second and third games, odds are wont get localized

BK0000

I’ll never understand why Nintendo decides to localize games from other companies and always ignore their own.

gatotsu911

Perhaps. This leak is predating a localization announcement from Nintendo? Or, perhaps, a GROUP of localization announcements? Hmmm?? See what I’m getting at?

urbanscholar

What’s that in the horizon I see? It’s…hope…wow

Guest

Europe loves Football but U.S. (Soccer) couldn’t care less……so….let’s release it in Europe yay!

Nevermind that there are so many kids in the U.S. that play Soccer. I mean, the term “Soccer Mom” or “Soccer Milf” didn’t exactly originate in Europe…

Aoshi00

Still a very niche sport though compared to NBA, NFL, or MLB (I’m not sure how well FIFA sells compared to Madden and such). Yes, mostly kids are into it, that’s why it’s considered as kid’s play or girl’s sport by most male adults.. I guess they could’ve advertised it to kids here like Pokemon, but no one has ever brought over the Capt. Tsubasa anime. Anime sports game don’t get localized alrdy, let alone one based on soccer.

Guest

That is true. I would have loved to play the Eyeshield 21, Captain Tsubasa and Slam Dunk games in English

Shuryou

I actually spotted an European Captain Tsubasa game recently with gameplay similar to the original game. It was for Nintendo DS.
The only issue is that the game had 4 languages. German, French, Italian and Spanish. I screamed at the website I saw it at.

PurpleDoom

I think this has something to do with Level-5 opening up their North American branch. I would imagine that they’d have some localization announcements after they get things up and running – and the fact that this is getting localized for Europe I’d say increases the chance that it will come to the US as well. It’s not like this is the first time a title was announced for Europe before the US, either; just in the past couple of months we’ve had No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise and Agarest Senki Zero announced for Europe before the US. All I’m saying is don’t get your hopes down yet! (Sorry for the long post.)